The Durango High School girls tennis team got a second chance to extend its season on Saturday at the final day of the Colorado High School Activities Association’s Class 4A girls state tennis championships at City Park in Pueblo, but the Demons’ run ended early, after three positions fell in the playback bracket.
Two singles players and a doubles team got another shot to compete as three first-round opponents advanced to the championship match in their respective brackets.
Lily Chick, Durango’s No. 2 singles player, made it out of the quarterfinal round of playbacks, after she defeated Palmer Ridge’s Bali Fitzpatrick in straight sets, 6-1, 6-2. It was the first and only win of the state tournament for DHS. The win also guaranteed a top-six individual finish, the third time in as many years for the program. Chick, a senior captain, then faced Golden’s Makenzie Middleton in the semifinals, and Middleton went on to win in straight sets, 6-0, 6-2.
“After yesterday, I wanted to come out and prove myself, and I think I really did that in that first match,” Chick said. “My shots were good, and I feel like that match was the best I played all season. I really wanted to go out there and wanted to earn the win. In the semifinals, I was tired, and it probably would’ve been a better draw for me in the morning, but I was happy that I got to keep playing. I was the last one left for us, and went out there and got to enjoy it.”
Fellow senior Emma Hackett wrapped up her Durango tennis career, after she was unable to advance past her quarterfinal playback match. Hackett squared off against Keelie Bennett, also of Palmer Ridge, and lost 0-6, 2-6. Hackett finished her career as a two-time quarterfinalist at the state meet.
“I felt that I played really well overall, and while yesterday’s opponent was tough, I was really happy with how I finished my season today,” Hackett said. “It was definitely a bit nerve-wracking waiting to see if I’d get a match, but I’m glad I did. Although I lost, I still felt like I had a good tournament, and was glad that I put everything I had out there.”
For the second consecutive year in the No. 1 singles bracket championship match, Kent Denver’s Josie Schaffer met Niwot’s Lucy Lu. Schaffer advanced to her fourth No. 1 singles championship appearance, which included beating Hackett in her first-round matchup on Friday, as she won titles in 2016 and 2017 and was last year’s runner-up to Lu. It was Lu again who won the title, and won in straight sets, 7-5, 6-1.
In DHS’ final playback of the day, juniors Jenna Baker and Anna Fenberg, Durango’s No. 3 doubles pair who made their first debut at the state meet, lost to Skye McCrimmon and Sofia Mezzano of Denver George Washington in a three-set thriller in the playback quarterfinals, 2-6, 6-3, 4-6.
In the third set, the Demons got off to an early 2-1 lead, before George Washington came back and led 3-2. Durango won two of the next three games to tie it 4-4. In the ninth game, the teams battled for every point. On more than one occasion, Durango had an advantage-deuce scenario and needed one more point, but could not capitalize. A similar story happened in the deciding 10th game of the set, after the Demons had a chance to tie it at five games a piece, but were unable to get the point to send it to a tiebreaker.
“During that third set, it’s all about keeping your head,” Fenberg said. “We had it right there, but we made a few mistakes and got down on ourselves, and that was the difference. We had some good rallies, and it’s a bummer that we couldn’t get those points. It’s definitely an experience to learn from. I think given that this was our first time at state, we’ll both learn a lot from this weekend.”
bploen@durangoherald.com
